If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it

Belly button piercing and life lessons

I've hurdled through countless body issues with my cutesy belly button piercing for the last 7 weeks and picked up some lessons along the way.

1. This IS the true test of patience, I'm telling you. Granted a belly button piercing takes forever to heal, it's sure to keep you on the edge for a while! And while you think you are immune to any form of infection because you are highly sanitary, trust me, you wouldn't know infection til it slaps you on the face.

Reasons why you need patience, and I mean lots of it:

• You have to let your body heal the piercing naturally, you can't have it any other way. You have to completely eliminate, if not minimize, contact with any substance -- from sweat to soap, etc., except for clean water (with a pinch of sea salt).
• You can't give up on the after-care triple-S. Yes, you will be sea salt-soaking for a few months. Sea salt is the ONLY recommended solution for cleaning. This should be coarse/fine and non-iodized. (and now, we're not talking about a regular, table salt here).
• Those dangly cute belly button rings are a long way to go. Think 3 to 4 months before you can safely have them changed. Considering it doesn't get infected, you should be fine. 
• The healing process is a tug-o-war. One day it looks fine and the next, it's lymphing. (and this is how it's going to be for the next few months)

2. Embrace change. Getting your navel pierced calls for a slight change in routine. 

• For the last 20 plus years I've been sleeping on my stomach. On the first night after getting pierced, I only slept for two hours. Took me a while before I got used to sleeping on my back because practically, I don't have much choice. 
• Having a new belly button piercing limits your choice of clothing. 
• You can't wear anything tight-fitting, 
• Button-downs can snag on the jewellery, 
• Jeans can give you frontal muffin while seating which tends to push the jewellery upwards
• High-waist anything can kill you (seriously, just imagine the pain of having a waist band tightly wrapped around your navel area) 

3. Live a little. This is trial and error. Just because it worked for someone else, doesn't mean it's going to be the same for you. Let me walk you through the hazards and normal reactions:

• Initial stages - the piercing is prone to infection which can cause severe lymphing, bleeding and then scabbing
• Interim - allergic reaction to temporary jewellery, migration (movement from original pierced area -- totes normal)
• Final healing - REJECTION. DUN DUN DUNNNNN

It's a long way to go and sometimes it keeps you from enjoying/appreciating :) LIVE IN THE FUCKEN MOMENT.